2003 Honda CR-V Recalls, Complaints & Specs
13 safety recalls list the 2003 Honda CR-V, and owners have filed 468 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
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13 safety recalls for the 2003 Honda CR-V
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Electrical system and power window devices and controls (visibility)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2002-2006 CR-V vehicles. Moisture may enter the driver side power window master switch, causing the switch to fail or melt.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power window master switch and inspect the wiring harness for damage, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138.…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic vehicles manufactured March 21, 2000, to January 20, 2005, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX vehicles manufactured June 14, 2000, to August 19, 2004, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles manufactured February 24, 2002, to January 18, 2005, 2003-2007 Honda…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Owners may contact…
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Air bags
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
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Air bags
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in California, and equipped with…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
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Power window devices and controls (visibility) and electrical system
Honda is recalling certain model year 2002-2006 CR-V passenger vehicles, manufactured from February 19, 2002, through July 28, 2006. The driver-side power window switch may fail or melt.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the switches, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on November 2, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
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Switch (exterior lighting)
Honda is recalling certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v; model year 2003 through 2005 pilot; and model year 2002 and 2003 civic vehicles. In march 2012, honda filed a defect report to recall certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v and certain model year 2003 pilot vehicles. In august 2012, honda informed the agency that it was…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the low beam terminal harness or replace the lighting switch as necessary, free of charge. The original recall began in april 2012. Owners of vehicles involved in the…
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Air bags: frontal
On certain sport utility vehicles, the wire harness of the driver's front air bag was incorrectly wired.
Remedy: Dealers will repair the wiring. Owner notification began on june 16, 2004. Owners should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.
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Automatic transmission (power train)
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, excessive corrosion of the shift cable linkage could prevent the driver from shifting the automatic transmission into park.
Remedy: Dealers will also install a new corrosion-resistant control pin. Owner notification began on august 19, 2003. Owners should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.
468 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 Honda CR-V have filed 468 complaints with NHTSA; 44 describe a crash and 25 describe a fire. Reports cite 39 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 75,725 miles. Complaints peaked in 2015 with 70 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“I got over to the edge of the road to avoid hitting a animal, and hit a small rock (with front passenger tire) and then subsequently had a spontaneous deployment and rupture of my passenger airbag, th”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 24, 2026 · Air bags
“Corrosion of the rear frame led to the trailing arm separating, and I nearly hit a tree.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 7, 2025 · Structure
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2003 Honda CR-V (CR-V 2WD, CR-V 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 21–22 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 19–20 / 23–26 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 2.4 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd |
Compare Honda CR-V model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Honda CR-V model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 Honda CR-V | 2 | 108 |
| 1998 Honda CR-V | 3 | 128 |
| 1999 Honda CR-V | 3 | 127 |
| 2000 Honda CR-V | 2 | 129 |
| 2001 Honda CR-V | 1 | 142 |
| 2002 Honda CR-V | 15 | 515 |
| 2003 Honda CR-V | 13 | 468 |
| 2004 Honda CR-V | 12 | 501 |
| 2005 Honda CR-V | 12 | 479 |
| 2006 Honda CR-V | 12 | 398 |
| 2007 Honda CR-V | 12 | 887 |
| 2008 Honda CR-V | 11 | 962 |
| 2009 Honda CR-V | 12 | 386 |
| 2010 Honda CR-V | 15 | 481 |
| 2011 Honda CR-V | 13 | 554 |
| 2012 Honda CR-V | 3 | 403 |
| 2013 Honda CR-V | 2 | 382 |
| 2014 Honda CR-V | 1 | 587 |
| 2015 Honda CR-V | 3 | 672 |
| 2016 Honda CR-V | 3 | 393 |
| 2017 Honda CR-V | 7 | 1,773 |
| 2018 Honda CR-V | 5 | 2,154 |
| 2019 Honda CR-V | 8 | 1,103 |
| 2020 Honda CR-V | 7 | 355 |
| 2021 Honda CR-V | 4 | 332 |
| 2022 Honda CR-V | 3 | 262 |
| 2023 Honda CR-V | 3 | 515 |
| 2024 Honda CR-V | 2 | 394 |
| 2025 Honda CR-V | 1 | 255 |
| 2026 Honda CR-V | 0 | 149 |
Checking a specific 2003 Honda CR-V
How do I know if my 2003 Honda CR-V has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 13 campaigns currently list the 2003 Honda CR-V; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Honda dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 03V274000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Honda models
- Accord24,554 complaints
- Civic16,209 complaints
- Odyssey12,749 complaints
- Pilot9,325 complaints
- Fit2,196 complaints
- Ridgeline2,186 complaints
- HR-V1,853 complaints
- Passport1,660 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.